Civics Unplugged
Civics Unplugged is a U.S. nonprofit that trains young Americans in civic leadership through a fellowship program, in-person and online events, and community-building workshops, reaching 6,000+ alumni across all 50 states and now operating under the CU Society umbrella.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Civics Unplugged does
Civics Unplugged is a U.S. nonprofit civic education organization founded in 2019 and headquartered in New York, operating a youth civic innovation training program that has produced 6,000+ trained leaders across all 50 states. Its core offering is a fellowship-style training program combined with mentorship, skills development, and community-building opportunities, delivered to students at no cost. The organization's products include the Civics Unplugged youth program, the CU Fellowship, CU Society Events (in-person and online pop-up rooms for civic action), and CU Society Education (workshops on building thriving communities). Underlying technology is not explicitly disclosed, but the platform operates as a community-plus-events model distributed through email (Flodesk newsletter), Instagram, LinkedIn, and in-person programming.
The organization does not operate a commercial revenue model. Programs are offered free to participants, and revenue (not disclosed in available data) is presumably generated through donations, grants, and institutional partnerships with funders and partner organizations. Its go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, relying on grassroots recruitment of young civic innovators and motivated Americans. In 2026, the organization expanded and consolidated under a new parent identity, CU Society, which added a general-public program track and three new engagement channels (events, education workshops, partnerships) alongside the original student fellowship. The co-founders are Josh Thompson (CEO) and Thanasi Dilos (Chief Growth Officer), with Zoë Jenkins serving as Director of Civic Trust & Leadership.
The strategic shift from Civics Unplugged to CU Society represents a documented repositioning: instead of preparing innovators to enter existing systems, the organization is building new civic systems alongside them. Member projects cited as outcomes include AI cancer detection software, VR-driven voter engagement tools, deepfake protection campaigns, and youth literacy nonprofits — indicating that alumni are working at the intersection of technology and civic innovation, though the organization itself does not produce or commercialize those technologies.
Civics Unplugged firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Civics Unplugged
- Legal name
- Civics Unplugged
- Website
- https://civicsunplugged.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Civics Unplugged is a U.S. nonprofit that trains young Americans in civic leadership through a fellowship program, in-person and online events, and community-building workshops, reaching 6,000+ alumni across all 50 states and now operating under the CU Society umbrella.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Civics Unplugged industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Civic Education and Youth Leadership (Nonprofit)
- NAICS
- Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ), Civic Participation & Leadership Development (Voting, Advocacy, Community Leadership) (EDAAADAL)
Keywords
Where Civics Unplugged is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Civics Unplugged business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Civics Unplugged product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Civics Unplugged delivers youth civic leadership training through its Civics Unplugged program and CU Fellowship, providing mentorship, skills development, and community-building support for the next generation of civic innovators. Under the expanded CU Society chapter, it also runs pop-up events (in-person and online) and educational workshops for motivated Americans wanting to build community solutions. The organization has trained 6,000+ leaders across 50 states.
Product overview
Civics Unplugged is a youth civic leadership organization with a platform-plus-programs architecture. The core offering consists of Civics Unplugged (youth training program founded 2019) and the CU Fellowship, supported by CU Society Events (in-person and online gatherings) and CU Society Education (workshops). The organization has trained over 6,000 leaders across 50 states and evolved into CU Society (founded 2026) to help young civic innovators build new solutions rather than fit into failing systems.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Civics Unplugged (Youth Training Program) Foundational youth civic leadership training program that prepares the next generation of civic innovators through mentorship, skills development, and community-building opportunities; serves students in the United States.
- CU Fellowship Fellowship program within the Civics Unplugged offering for young civic innovators, providing structured training and resources to develop leadership skills and run civic projects.
- CU Society Events Pop-up rooms held across the United States and online where members can gather, organize, and take civic action; available in both in-person and online formats.
- CU Society Education In-person and online workshops that teach community-building skills and civic engagement knowledge for motivated Americans wanting to create local solutions.
Quantifiable outcome
- 6,000+ leaders trained across 50 states
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Civics Unplugged
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Civics Unplugged technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Civics Unplugged partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Civics Unplugged competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- iCivics: Founded by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, iCivics is the leading provider of K-12 civic education curriculum and games. Directly comparable to Civics Unplugged's youth civic innovation mission, though iCivics focuses on classroom-based instruction while CU focuses on community-led action.
- Generation Citizen: Nonprofit that brings civics education into high schools and colleges through action-based programs. Comparable to Civics Unplugged in targeting young people with hands-on civic engagement, though structured around schools rather than fellowships and pop-ups.
- DoSomething.org: Largest youth social-change nonprofit in the US, mobilizing millions of young people around civic campaigns. Comparable member-driven, action-oriented youth engagement model, but operates at much larger scale and digital-first rather than fellowship-led.
- Mikva Challenge: Chicago-based nonprofit that empowers youth through civic engagement, leadership development, and democracy programs. Closely aligned with Civics Unplugged's youth civic leadership mission and action-based pedagogy.
- Ashoka: Global network supporting social entrepreneurs, including youth changemakers. Comparable focus on identifying and supporting young civic innovators building solutions, though Ashoka operates globally and at much larger scale.
Emerging players
- New Voters: Youth-led civic engagement organization focused on first-time voter mobilization. Partial overlap with CU Society's civic engagement mission, particularly member-led VR voting initiative, but narrower focus on voting rights.
Broad incumbents
- Rock the Vote: Established nonpartisan nonprofit driving youth voter registration and civic participation since 1990. Operates in adjacent civic engagement space with significant scale and brand recognition, overlapping with CU's youth democracy work.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development organization serving 4M+ youth annually with leadership and civic programs. Comparable youth leadership development focus, though much broader mission and physical-club-based delivery model.
- Points of Light: Large nonprofit focused on volunteer service and civic engagement across all ages. Compares to CU Society's broader civic mobilization mission, though Points of Light operates at much greater scale with institutional infrastructure.
- Civic Nation: Nonprofit incubator that builds issue-based civic campaigns including voter turnout and student debt. Overlaps with CU's youth civic engagement focus, but operates as a campaign incubator rather than a fellowship program.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Civics Unplugged social profiles
Digital presenceCivics Unplugged financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Civics Unplugged leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Civics Unplugged funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Civics Unplugged M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Civics Unplugged
What does Civics Unplugged do?
Civics Unplugged delivers youth civic leadership training through its Civics Unplugged program and CU Fellowship, providing mentorship, skills development, and community-building support for the next generation of civic innovators. Under the expanded CU Society chapter, it also runs pop-up events (in-person and online) and educational workshops for motivated Americans wanting to build community solutions. The organization has trained 6,000+ leaders across 50 states.
Is Civics Unplugged a public or private company?
Civics Unplugged is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Civics Unplugged founded?
Civics Unplugged was founded in 2019. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Civics Unplugged based?
Civics Unplugged is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Civics Unplugged's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are iCivics, Generation Citizen, DoSomething.org, Mikva Challenge and Ashoka. New Voters is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Rock the Vote, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Points of Light and Civic Nation.
Does Civics Unplugged have an API?
No public API is recorded for Civics Unplugged.
What industry is Civics Unplugged in?
Civics Unplugged's product category is Civic Education and Youth Leadership (Nonprofit). Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAI, Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits, with a secondary code of BPAGAFAJ, Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy. Its NAICS code is 813410 and its SIC code is 8600.